Musica Universalis or Music of the Spheres

The Law of Universal Order, the doctrine that there is Law behind the order of the Universe was echoed by Shakespeare." That the heavens themselves, the planets and the spheres observe proportion, ratio and Order"

The Music of the Spheres is a philosophic concept, that regards the proportions in the motion of the celestial bodies as Musica Divina or Divine Music The Music of the Nine Revolving Heavens, the Nava Grahas !. Though not literally audible, this Musica Divina is accessible to the divinely intoxicated mind, in a state of Cosmic Consciousness. It is harmonic, mathematical and Sacred Music !

The concept is Pythagorean. Pythagorus, the father of Astro Numerology, with his semi-mystical and semi-mathematical philosophy, declared that the Mystery of the Universe is discernible through Unio Mystica or Mystic Union. Mystic systems in the West like Gnostic Christianity and Free Masonry use this concept, as both these systems were influenced by Pythagorus.

Johannes Kepler, the great astronomer who gave the western world the Laws of Planetary motion, declared that Sacred Geometry, Cosmolgy, Astronomy, Astrology, Harmonics and Music stemmed from this Musica Universalis. Kepler elaborated this concept in his Harmonice Mundi , relating Astrology and Harmonics ! Kepler declared that

p1^2/p2^2 = a1^3/ a2^3

that is the ratio of the squares of the sidereal periods of planets is equal to the cube roots of their semi-major axes. ( The Third Law of Planetary Motion ).

Dante elaborated this concept in his formidable poem The Divina Commedia The spheres were believed to be related by whole number ratios of pure musical intervals, generating musical harmony.

In his book De Musica Beothius defined three types of Music

Musica Universalis or Musica Mundana ( Music of the Spheres )Musica Humana ( the internal music of the human body )Musica instrumentalis ( Instrumental music by instrumentalists )

This music can be heard in the Region of Concrete Thought, according to Max Heindel. This is a different state of Consciousness, different from the mundane. In Esoteric Christianity, this is called the second heaven.

Indian Philosophy gives great importance to Sacred Music. Most of the poems of the great poets have been musicalised. We find that great epic poems, like Geetha, like Devi Sooktham etc have been musicalised. Singers like Lataji, Anuradha, Chitra, Jesudas etc has sung the glory of these poems. Listening to these poems can make the Kundalini rise.

In 2006, Greg Fox divided the orbits of the planets in half again and again till they were literally audible. The result was Carmen of the Spheres.

Yogic schools like Nada. Laya and Shabda Yogas give importance to Sacred Music. The Shabda Yoga Gurus consider Pythagorus as a divine Guru, his name stemming from two Sanskrit words, Pitha ( father ) and Guru ( preceptor ). This Guru or gorus occurs in such names as Protagorus, Anaxagorus and Pythagorus !

Fortunatley I grew up in a tradition of Sacred Music. As a child, I used to get out of bed, hearing my mother sing Sankara and Jayadeva. I grew up listening to Sai bhajans, which can spiritualise any one.

In the Masonic Initiation, the Heirophant or the Guru tells the initiate " We have selected for you, selected by the Grand Organist, some selections from the Music of the Spheres ". He tells him " how all heavens and earths, the Grand Lodge below and the Grand Lodge above are all held together by that Music, though few on earth have the ears to hear it".

Genius hears the overtones, also the Music of the Spheres. Genius knows what it meant when Pythagorus said that Philosophy is the highest Music.

According to the Indian tradition, all Music is Samaveda . Musicology is the 17th science which constitute Indian philosophy ( ayurvedam dhanurvedam gandharvo veda eva cha ). Gandharva Veda is the eternal Music of Nature, the Universal Music, whose infinitesimal expression is all earthly music. What the Seers hear in higher or altered states of Consciousness is nothing but this Heavenly Music ( Ananta Vai Veda ).

Gandharva Music is the divine music in alliance with the Laws of Nature. If you make yourself still, you can hear this music in the rising of the sun and its setting. All you have to do is to prepare yourself spiritually and tune in and you can hear this wonderful music. This celestial music has psychotherapeutic properties.

The healing properties of Gandharva Music has been lost to the West and now many of India's professional musicians are touring the world, performing ancient melodies and demonstrating its psychotherapeutic properties to people from all civilizations.